The 20th Anniversary of Duke Nukem 3D: A Gaming Odyssey
As of January 29th, 2016, Duke Nukem 3D is 20 years old. This milestone marks the release of the MS DOS shareware version of the game by 3D Realms on December 23rd, 1995, but I'm going to dive into the story of how this iconic game impacted my life in a way that nothing else could have prepared me for.
The moment I saw Duke Nukem 3D in stores in '96 was like being blown away. The embossed artwork on the box was superb, and the screenshots looked better than anything I'd ever seen. And of course, it was Duke Nukem – the original Duke Nukem in 1991 was one of the first games I'd played, shortly after being introduced to Crystal Caves and Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy! Then my Uncle Mark got me Duke Nukem 2 for Christmas a couple of years later, and it enthralled me even more with its awesome music and vibrant graphics.
Then 1996 rolled around, and I was standing in a Software Etc store at the local mall, holding this box in my hands. Drooling over a 3D game featuring one of my favorite 2D characters! There was one problem: I was 10 years old, and it was rated for mature audiences only, and my parents rightfully said no to buying it. So I ended up buying The Need for Speed Special Edition instead, leaving Duke to rest in the back of my mind as I happily filled my days with speeding Dodge Vipers.
That is, until the summer of 1998. A friend of mine had a copy of Duke 3D that was acquired through, uh... less than legitimate means. I rushed home with that thing and promptly played through the entire game in one sitting. It was better than I ever dreamed of dude! It was just so real to me – like nothing even compared. Up to that point, the only first-person shooters I knew were Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, while those were lots of fun, Duke 3D had so many things I'd never seen in a game.
It was a first-person shooter based on the real world for one thing! I mean, sure, you also shot aliens with shrink rays and explored extraterrestrial spaceports. But all the stuff based on earth made it sealed entirely unique – movie theaters, restaurants, bank vaults, subway stations, movie sets! All packed with believable detail. Compared to the repetitive corridors of Wolf 3D, and the otherworldly hellscapes of Doom, these locations were amazing to me. Not only did the levels feel like real places but they were also hugely interactive – you could open up cabinets, you could pee into toilets, you could play pool, you could break TVs, you could even... oh my, tip exotic dancers. Ahem, so yes Duke Nukem 3D and puberty arrived at right about the same time for me, which was fitting because the entire game is an adolescent straight male fantasy – shoot the aliens, save the babes, simple as that.
And coincidentally, once my voice dropped a few octaves, it turned out I could pass off a rather passable impression of Duke Nukem himself! And while there were plenty of other Duke Nukem games that came out after that, they were all on consoles I didn't have until much later on. So I stuck to Duke 3D for years and I had no problem with that because the game was hugely replayable, especially with mods! I took trips to this local Barnes and Noble to read everything I could about modifying the game, mostly by diving into the official Duke Nukem 3D level design handbook. I must have read this thing a hundred times once I got my own copy.
I just couldn't stop making stuff! I designed my own levels, coded in my own objects, created my own textures, recorded my own voiceovers – and even made some of the infamous ' Deathmatch' mods for it. The level design was an experience that has been unmatched in my gaming journey so far. It was incredibly addictive and rewarding to create new content. I found myself spending hours on creating new missions, editing maps, testing out different strategies and techniques.
The game's modding community is still thriving today, with a dedicated group of fans constantly pushing the boundaries of what can be done within the game engine. The level design in Duke Nukem 3D has influenced many other games since its release, including popular titles such as Half-Life, which borrowed heavily from it and incorporated similar gameplay mechanics into its own single-player campaign.
The development of mods for Duke Nukem 3D has also created a sense of community among players. Players would collaborate with one another to create new content, share tips and tricks on how to improve their gameplay skills, and even trade resources such as maps and custom models. The modding scene has become an essential part of the game's identity, providing endless hours of entertainment for fans.
The impact that Duke Nukem 3D had on my life cannot be overstated. Without these individuals – the developers, designers, artists, and community members who worked tirelessly to create new content, update old levels, fix bugs, and push the boundaries of what is possible within the game engine – I would not be the person I am today.
And seeing as I quite enjoy being me these days, thank you. Happy birthday, Duke!